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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0930.PDF
428 THOSE MYSTERIOUS DIVE- BOMBERS " Dive-bombing in Sea Warfare." In this is was stated that, owing to the speed, manoeuvrability and small size of maritime targets, a special tech nique of attack is entailed which favours the use of the dive-bomber. More recently, referring to the escape of the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Pvinz Eugen, was the comment, '' It is not believed in Moscow that these ships, when finally repaired, can play any decisive part in the Baltic, where they would be exposed to the danger of Russian dive-bomber attacks." Naval Operations In the same issue of the serious Sun day newspaper reporting this view, the British correspondent, analysing what he termed the "Channel fiasco," stated : '' Some have suggested that dive-bombers might have altered the result. This is nonsense. Dive-bomb ing would not have been possible in the visibility obtaining, and the losses against the big fighter opposition would have been enormous. Anyhow, dive-bombing has no effect against heavily armoured ships." The Russians have direct knowledge of both German and Jap methods of dive-bombing _ on the battlefield and The American Vultee Vengeance has been ordered for Great Britain. It was designed from the beginning as a dive-bomber. themselves make effective use of dive tactics for land operations. The latest news is that the Germans are employ ing waves of dive-bombers to blast Russian A.A. posts and airfields.in an attempt to destroy the forces which are intercepting the air transports carrying supplies and reinforcements to the 16th Army trapped in the Staraya Russa sector. It is generally acknowledged that sustained dive- bombing is a most effective tactic for breaking the morale of troops. Weather is beyond control or modi fication, but certainly low, broken cloud which could handicap the high- altitude bomber may be used to ad- The Brewster Bermuda (top) was originally ordered by this country as a bomber, and later as a dive-bomber. The Republic Guardsman (bottom) is a formidable modern American type. vantage by a dive-bomber. Also a" dive out of the sun or an escape into the sun is a possible manoeuvre by which the dive-bomber may foil ground or. ship defences. Admittedly the dive-bomber is a specialised weapon, but if a case can be made for the torpedo craft there would appear to be even more justification for the dive-bomber. Re ferring to torpedo bombers, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Chatfield wrote on December 14th, 1941, "If our ships must operate within reach of more effective shore-based aircraft than that which they have previously faced in the Mediterranean, then there are measures which can be taken no doubt to lessen the risk. . . . Moreover, if enemy ships venture to approach within range of our own shore-based aircraft, we can confidently expect that they will receive measure for measure. ... If we rightly maintain our fullest confidence in the Admiralty and the Navy it will mean much to them, and it will, moreover, fortify our minds in anxious days." The suggested fortification of the mind was rudely shaken only two months later when the German vesse-ls steamed up the Channel. Neverthe less, there is no clamour that the tor pedo bomber is obsolete or useless or that its special duties can be better effected by another type of aircraft. Instead we are promised a new and improved torpedo bomber. American Dive-bombers Of course, public anxiety has been somewhat allayed by the statement that America is going to send us some modern dive-bombers. Why we want them if, as claimed, dive-bombing is useless and a Hurricane adapted as a high-speed, low-leve1 bomber or equipped with shell-guns for " tank busting" is a better proposition, passes comprehension. Our advisers should have the courage to stand by their professed opinions. However, it should be noted that the announcement regarding the purchase of American dive-bombers does not represent any recent change of policy. These Vultee Vengeance dive-bombers were, according to
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